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Home Page   Local News   Local Sports   Community Calendar   Opinion   Editorials   Columns   Letters to the Editor   Archives   News Archives   Sports Archives	2-21-2007 Organic garden planned for elementary school By MICHELLE MILLER Staff Writer Construction of an organic vegetable garden at the Cooperstown Elementary School is expected to begin next fall, after the completion of the Kid City reconstruction. According to organizers, Kid Garden is a cooperative endeavor of the Cooperstown Elementary School and community members interested in promoting healthy eating and teaching agricultural skills in the school system. The garden will be a fully organic vegetable garden, planned and cultivated by students, families and faculty during the traditional three seasons, said organizers. When asking for the Board of Education's approval for the project, Dr. Antoinette Kuzminski, of Sustainable Otsego, said the garden will allow students to get hands-on experience of agriculture. "Once established, we hope the garden will also be a site for research and development of skills for winter production of seasonally appropriate crops through low-tech methodologies," said Kuzminski. "Kid Garden should provide a handson situation for teaching various related disciplines (biology, math, chemistry) as well as an opportunity for meaningful public service." Kuzminski said Kid Garden is not intended to be recreational, but is anticipated to be educational. She said crops will be donated to the local food bank and sold at the Cooperstown Farmers' Market to help pay for supplies and seeds. The goal is to have most of the food served at the school cafeteria as part of the health and wellness program, said Kuzminski. BOE President Mark Rathbun said he thought the garden was a "great idea." "I hope the Great American produce section won't be threatened," he joked. Kid Garden will be located immediately south of the elementary school on a sunny, protected 6,600 square foot site. Plans call for six-foot fencing, raised beds, a small barn, and a flexible drip irrigation system, according to organizers. Anticipated cost of materials for building the garden is about $9,000, and organizers said they hope to raise this through grant money and donations from community groups. Persons wishing to make private contributions are invited to do so through the Cooperstown Fund for Educational Excellence. Contact Superintendent Mary Jo McPhail at 547-5364 and specify Kid Garden on check or money orders. People can also contact Kuzminski at 547-8586. The project budget does not include labor, so organizers will be relying on volunteers. "Our children must be empowered to change their environment for the better," said organizers in a press release. "We expect Kid Garden will be just the beginning of a renewal of the rich agricultural potential of this region."
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